A Twist in Time
by Pbam1236
Summary: A certain authoress gets sucked into the Phantom of the Opera timeline. Will she be able to change the story to avoid heartbreak for Erik? What about for herself?
1. Chapter 1

**O...M...G... I am so sorry for my prolonged absence from writing on here. Christmas is almost here, so that means no school, and for a little bit, that meant no computer. But I have found a way to finally post on here! So I am back, baby! By the way, thank you to all who followed, reviewed, and added my other stories to their favorites. Your support means more to me than you will ever know. Fair warning, this is a self-insert. I couldn't help myself, I just had to do it. Without further ado, I give you the first chapter of A Twist in Time!**

Chapter 1

_"__I am your Angel of Music,_

_Come to me, Angel of Music…"_

I woke up violently to the beginning of the song _The Phantom of the Opera_, which I realized a second later was my alarm. It was time to wake up.

Ugh.

I drug myself out of bed sluggishly, turning my alarm off on my phone. It was a Friday, but that still meant school. At least after school was going to be fun. It was going to be the first performance of _The Phantom of the Opera_, done by my school's drama club. And guess who was going to be playing Christine?

That's right, _moi_!

Speaking of _moi_, _moi_ had to get ready for another grueling day of school. The only good things about school were my music classes, drama club, and English. Especially English, because we were doing one of the best assignments ever: creative writing. There was a minimum of at least one page, but no maximum volume. Everyone else, I knew, were going to write the minimum, but I wouldn't be like them. Unlike them, I actually _like_ writing. My story was going to be the best, and, of course, based off of _The Phantom of the Opera_.

If you haven't already noticed, I am a huge Phan! Give me anything _Phantom_, and I am all over it like ants on a honey-covered stick. The only thing bad about being a Phan is that I'm basically the only one in this small town. No one ever knows what I'm talking about, so I just have to explain by saying, "It's a musical."

I mean, I can't really complain. I have my _Phantom_, my music, and my writing. What else would I need?

About an hour later, I was at the bus stop, waiting in the freezing cold for the bus to reach my stop. _Man, why can't I just drive to school? It would be easier, less time-consuming, and there would actually be HEAT!_

Finally, the bus rounded the corner and came to me, opening its doors to me. I reluctantly got in and found my seat, right beside my friend, Emmy. As I sat down, she looked at me with a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright, Mandy?"

I waved her off. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"Nervous about tonight, I guess?"

"Actually, no, I'm not. I mean, I know all of the songs, all of the lines, all of the choreography. What is there to be nervous about?" I asked.

"Well, you would think that you, of all people would be nervous. You're the lead, everyone counts on you, the audience will be mainly looking at you, you have that really high note-"

"Okay, if you really wanted me nervous, you just got your wish." I said, my palms sweaty as they gripped my backpack strap.

She laughed. "Sorry, girl."

Once the bus reached the school, everyone piled out and went to class, which in my case was English. What a way to start off the day.

That night was packed full at the very first performance of _The Phantom of the Opera_. By the time it was over and we were taking our final bows, I was elated. Everyone loved it! I couldn't wait to do it again the next night.

As I came up from my last bow, I started to feel really dizzy. _Whoa, where did that come from?_

I started to sway on my feet, and my co-star who played Erik (aka the Phantom) grabbed onto my arm. "Mandy, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…" I trailed off as I collapsed to the stage, blacking out.

Colors swirled around me, voices mingling in my ears.

_"__I am your Angel of Music..."_

_"__Mandy, wake up…"_

_"__Mandy…"_

_"__Come to me, Angel of Music…"_

_"__Mademoiselle…MADEMOISELLE!"_

I shot up, gasping for air, when I felt someone shaking me. It took a few seconds for me to focus on my surroundings. I wasn't on the stage anymore. I was now outside on a cobbled street in front of a big building that I vaguely recognized. Wait…could it be…?

"The Opera Populaire." I exclaimed under my breath. How on earth did I end up in France?

The person shaking me spoke again. "Mademoiselle, are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fi-" I stopped suddenly as I saw who I was speaking to. A lady dressed in all black, her hair in a braid wrapped around her head, her cane lying on the ground beside me.

Madame Giry.

I blacked out again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter is up! Special thanks to grapejuice101, michellecarriveau, and SailorSedna052. Thank you to every single one of you for reading and sticking with my stories :)**

Chapter 2

I woke up in a soft bed, not remembering what happened. I was taking my final bows on stage, then I passed out. I woke up in front of the...then I saw...

What the heck was going on here?

I heard the door open and more than one pair of feet make their way to my bed. I looked over to see none other than Madame Giry, Meg Giry, and the ever-so-famous Christine Daae. I thought I was going to faint again, but thankfully, I didn't.

Madame Giry was the first to notice that I was awake. "I'm glad to see you're awake. We were very worried about you."

"Worried about me?"

"Why, yes. Imagine if you had a woman wake up in front of your place of work in a wedding dress." she said.

Now I was utterly confused. "Wedding dress?" I looked down at myself and suddenly realized what she meant: I was still in the wedding dress from the final scene of _Phantom_. "Oh..."

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Meg asked me. I swear, she was Jennifer Ellison, her mother was Miranda Richardson, and Christine was Emmy Rossum.

What could I tell them? Obviously, the truth was out of the question: they would have sent me to the loony bin if I told them that I was from the future. I just shook my head. "No, Madame, I don't."

All three of them looked at me in sympathy. I hated that look.

"Can you remember your name?" Madame Giry asked me.

_Man, they're just full of questions_, I thought to myself. _Well, I guess I would be too if a strange girl showed up on my doorstep._ "My name is Mandy." was all I offered.

"Well, Mademoiselle Mandy, I hope that regain your memory of what happened soon. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here if you have no other place to go."

_Well, of course I have no other place to go. My home is in the 21st century!_ "Thank you."

Madame Giry nodded, then gasped. "Oh, I have forgotten my manners. I am Madame Giry, the ballet mistress of the opera house. This is my daughter, Meg, and her friend, Christine Daae. We will leave you now so you can get some rest. Girls, come along."

Meg followed Madame Giry out the door, but Christine stayed behind. "Pleased to meet you, mademoiselle." she said before going out the door.

_I wish I could say the same, but it's hard when you broke Erik's heart..._

I reclined back in the bed when suddenly something fell into my lap. I picked it up and observed it with a shaking hand. It was a blood red rose with a black ribbon tied around it and a note attached. Could it be from _him_? I opened the note and read it.

_"Dear Mademoiselle Mandy,_

_I welcome you to my opera house. I trust that you will enjoy your stay and give my best wishes in your recovery. I also must warn you to stay away from the backstage area should you decide to explore, the stagehands are not the best - or most sober - of people. I would hate to see a young lady like you be corrupted by their filthy ways. If you experience any problems or require assistance of any kind, please just write me a note and leave it on your vanity._

_With sincere regards,_

_O.G."_

Oh my gosh, I actually got a letter from him! I resisted my urge to squeal in joy and set out to look for a piece of paper and something to write with. The closest thing to a pen I found was a quill and ink. I shrugged and sat down, preparing to write. _I've always wanted to write with one of these anyways..._

_"__Dear O.G.,_

_Thank you for the rose and the warning about the stagehands, although if anything does happen, I think I can take care of myself, not to be rude or anything. Your concern touches me. As you may very well know, I am a stranger to this place, but the truth is that I know more than what most would think. In knowing these things, I would like to request a meeting with you. You don't have to accept, of course, but I consider it a mission of mine to know every person I talk with face-to-face. And please, just Mandy would be fine. I don't think I could ever get used to being called 'mademoiselle'._

_Sincerely,_

_Mandy"_

I folded the letter and set it on my vanity, leaning it against the mirror. I knew I shouldn't wish for such things, but would I actually get to meet the infamous Phantom of the Opera?

One could only hope.

A few minutes later, Christine knocked on my door and announced that lunch would soon be ready. "Would you like me to bring you some food or would you like to eat in the dining hall?"

I knew that Erik wouldn't dare get my letter while I was still in the room, so I decided to go down to the dining hall with Christine. But I thought of a little problem: what on Earth would I wear? I very well knew that if I walked down there in the wedding dress that people would think me mad. "Um, Christine?" I called out uncertainly. "Are there any extra clothes that I could possibly borrow?"

"Oh, of course." She called from behind the door. "Wait just a moment, I'll go fetch a dress for you."

Ugh, how was I going to get used to wearing these frilly dresses all the time. I was more of a T-shirt and jeans type of girl. But I had to admit that these dresses were very beautiful.

She returned to my room, dress in hand. It was a beautiful shade of dark blue that almost looked like denim. "Will this work?" she asked me.

"Yes, this will be fine. Thank you."

I hurried and dressed, still having the corset and all the underthings on from the wedding dress. The directors had wanted everything as real as possible, so they made all the actors wear period clothing, such as the cursed corset. I would give anything to be back in my T-shirt and jeans.

After I got dressed, Christine led me down to the dining hall, which was already packed with the cast and crew. We got our meager lunch of soup and a roll and ate it fast, as Madame Giry announced that she wanted the ballet to report to the stage in ten minutes. After we finished eating, Christine showed me back to my room. "I'll be back this afternoon to get you for dinner. If you want to, there are a few books in the chest over in the corner."

"Thank you." I said as she went back out the door. But I wasn't really interested in the books at the moment.

My letter was gone, and in its stead, a new one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Woohoo, third chapter! Shoutouts to Fireballmaddie, Brackenfern, and yasdnilgoth. Now, onward!**

Chapter 3

_"__Dear Mandy,_

_I shall meet with you on one condition: you sing for me when we do meet. Go to Box 5 at midnight tonight and I shall be there._

_-O.G."_

Sing for him…Box 5…midnight? Every Phangirl's dream! Then I saw a P.S at the bottom.

_"__P.S. Also, wear the dress you arrived in…"_

I shrugged, thinking nothing of it. Small price to pay when you're actually going to meet the freaking _Phantom of the Opera_!

It seemed like forever for midnight to roll around. Christine came by my room again to take me to dinner, where we ate – yet again – soup and rolls. Does the menu in this place ever change?

After dinner, the members of the cast were instructed to go to their rooms. Meg accompanied me to my room with promises of showing me around the next day. "I know you must hate not knowing where you're going, so I will make you a map so you can follow it as we go along."

I smiled at her kindness. "Thank you. Lord knows that I need a map in such a place as this. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight." She said as she made her way towards her room.

As she went down the hall, I shut my door and sprawled out on my bed. How much longer until midnight? It felt like forever!

Finally, it was fifteen minutes until midnight. I jumped up out of bed and got dressed in the dress that I arrived in. That got me to thinking: why on Earth would he want me to wear this?

Shrugging it off, I made my way to Box 5… to the best of my abilities. I got lost a couple times along the way, but I finally made it at exactly midnight. Looking around the box, I couldn't see anyone. "Hello?" I called out tentatively.

A rush of cold air suddenly came through the box, then the wall opened up to reveal a secret passageway and a note. I took the note and opened it, fearing the worst.

_"__Mandy,_

_Forgive the sudden change of plans, but I feel it would be safer for us to meet down below. Do not worry, I have no ulterior motive except to hear you sing without interruption or fear of interruption, as well as to talk with you. If you would please step into this lift, it will take you to where I will meet you._

_Your friend,_

_O.G."_

_Well, this isn't creepy at all…_ I thought to myself, but nevertheless got in. As soon as all of me was inside, the door shut, immersing me in complete darkness. _Oh, what I wouldn't give to have my phone right now…_

After what seemed like an hour, the lift finally stilled and the door opened. I stepped out, taking a look around. The room I was in was scarcely lit, but lit sufficiently so that I could see exactly where I was.

I was in Erik's living room.

I marveled at the beauty the room held. Mahogany furniture, Persian rugs on the floor, paintings on the walls. It was absolutely stunning.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said behind me, effectively startling me and making me jump. I turned to find a handsome man in a suit and a stark white mask. It was indeed Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, in flesh and blood. It took all I had not to swoon.

I then realized he was waiting for an answer. Clearing my throat, I said, "Yes, it is."

He started walking towards me, eyeing me carefully, as if trying to measure if I were going to run from him. _As if…_

"I'm curious about you. How is it that someone like you ended up being found on the steps of the Opera Populaire in a wedding dress? Don't tell me you're a runaway bride…"

I blushed. "Certainly not. To be honest, I have no idea how I ended up here. One minute I was doing…something, and then the next, Madame Giry found me."

He looked at me curiously. "What was this _thing_ that you were doing?"

I laughed. "Like you would ever believe me if I told you the truth."

"Try me." He said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I was taking my final bows of the night after performing a musical about you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

I took a deep breath then started my explanation. "Okay, so I'm from the year 2014, and I'm from America. At my school, we were performing a musical named _The Phantom of the Opera_, and I played Christine. That explains the dress because the last scene is where Christine wears it."

A suspicious look passed over his face. "And how did you _supposedly_ come here from the future?"

"That's the thing, I have no clue. Like I said, I was taking my final bows after the show, then I blacked out and woke up here."

We were both silent for a moment. He seemed to be trying to take in what I was revealing to him. I mean, heck, I wouldn't believe it myself either if this was happening in my time. He would either think me mad or believe me. I was hoping for the latter, but knew that the former was the most logical choice he would make.

Finally, he spoke up. "Well, I'm not sure if I believe you, but I'll play along for now."

"Do you want me to prove it? Because I'm sure I can."

He gestured to me. "By all means."

I nodded. "Alright, so in the future, there are many variations of your story, the oldest one being the book _Phantom of the Opera_ by Gaston Leroux. That was then turned into a movie in 1925-"

He interrupted me. "What is a movie?"

"Hold on, ghostie, I'm getting there. There are many other variations of Leroux's story, some of the most popular being _Phantom _by Susan Kay and the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. And before you ask, a musical is basically an opera, only with more talking."

His face grew red at my nickname of _ghostie_ for him. "Alright, so that answers one of my questions. My other question still stands, though."

"Okay, fine. A movie is basically a lot of pictures moving in rapid succession with sound added."

He nodded. "Alright, I think that answer is acceptable. So you really don't know how you came here?"

I shook my head. "Not a clue."

"Come with me. I may have the answers you seek. It's not a guarantee, but the search may deem fruitful."


	4. Chapter 4

**Merry Christmas everybody! Man, this year seemed to go by so fast. Hope it's been a good one :)**

Chapter 4

Erik led me to his library, which seemed to be as big as the library they have at my school. So many books…

He walked over to the shelves and grabbed a really old-looking book. Him blowing the dust off of it just added to the effect. "This book has everything known to man about supernatural happenings such as this phenomenon. If we find the right scenario, we may be able to figure out how to get you back to your time."

_But I don't want to go back just yet, I just got here!_ I protested silently. "But what if it's not in there?"

He shrugged. "Then I guess you're stuck here."

After an hour of searching all through that book, we could not find a thing that applied to this predicament. "So what now?" I asked him.

"Well, this means one of three things: you're lying, you belong in a mad house, or you're telling the truth but this has never happened to anyone before."

I scoffed. "Well, I'm definitely not lying and I am perfectly sane, so the best choice would be the third one, ghostie."

Erik growled in annoyance. "Must you call me that? If you need something else to call me, call me Erik."

"Oh, I know what your name is, Erik. But it's fun to make you irritated like that."

"You may not like it when I have my lasso tied around your neck the next time you call me that." He ground out, his teeth clenching together. "If you know everything, then you know what that can lead to."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please, like you would hurt a woman. You never have, and I think you never will unless it is absolutely warranted, like she's trying to kill you or something."

He huffed and went to go put the book back on the shelf. "Well, I guess we just play it by ear and see what happens. That's pretty much the only thing we can do."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But what am I gonna do? It's not like the opera house is going to just hire a girl they found on the streets and I can't work the jobs you have in this time because I don't know how to do them-"

He interrupted me. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"We?"

"That's what I said, is it not?"

On the outside, I was cool, calm, collected. But on the inside, I was freaking out. _He actually wants to help me!_ The cool, calm, and collected me broke to the freaking out me a little bit, though, as I went over to him and hugged him. I felt him stiffen and awkwardly put his arms around me in what awkwardly resembled a hug.

"Thank you, Erik." I whispered to him, hearing his sharp gasp. Apparently he wasn't used to people thanking him.

Erik let me go and pulled away from me, straightening himself. "Well, in the meantime, I will see what I can do about your unemployment problem. Can you sing or dance?"

"I guess I can sing, but my voice isn't built for opera. I could maybe do songs from my time."

He nodded. "Yes, that could work. I doubt you have any music with you for it, though."

"You're right: I don't. I wish I did, though. I miss my phone…and my computer…and my fanfiction…"

He raised his eyebrow in confusion and shrugged. "I have no idea what any of those things are, but I guess they are worth missing if you don't even say that you miss your family."

I stopped, and my eyes suddenly filled with tears. It's true, I did miss my family, but I was trying not to think about them to prevent myself from becoming a blubbering mess…which is what was happening at that moment.

After a few moments, I finally got my emotions under control and turned to Erik, suddenly curious about something. "Has Christine already sung in _Hannibal_?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "No, _Hannibal_ is to be performed in 3 months."

"So I arrived before everything happened. Interesting."

"So are you saying that Christine will be cast as Elissa?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"No, she wasn't. Carlotta was supposed to be Elissa, then you dropped a backdrop on her while she was singing for the new managers and she stocked off raving mad. Madame Giry suggested that Christine play Elissa, then it happened."

"Oh…so tell me more from this story about my life." He insisted.

"Um, are you sure that would be a good idea? I mean, there are some pretty rough parts in it I don't think you would be too pleased to hear."

"It doesn't matter. Maybe by hearing it, I can bypass the mistakes I made and get it right this time." He pushed.

I sighed and put my arm out to him. "Twist it."

He looked at me weirdly as he gently took my arm in his hands and twisted it. "Alright, fine, but if it gets too much for you to hear, just remember that you wanted me to."

He snorted. "If you know anything at all about me, you know that a mere story cannot have an effect on me, even if it is about myself."

"Okay, I hope you're right. Here goes…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 is now up! Shoutout to bella cullen the original. And before I forget or get sued, either one, I DO NOT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! I do own myself, though...**

Chapter 5

"The famous story of the Phantom of the Opera starts with a lonely little boy whose mother made him wear a mask. She was too much of a coward to look upon his face without fear, although there was nothing to fear but his anger.

"One day, he ran away from home, desperate to find a better life, only to be thrown into an even worse one. He was captured one day by a gypsy camp, and was forced to show his face as forms of entertainment to the general populace, or as horror for misbehaving little children. Either way, he was living in turmoil, his 'master' beating him every day. But one day, he escaped from the gypsy camp and went on to travel.

"There are many versions of what happens after he left the gypsy camp, anywhere from Madame Giry rescuing him from the camp and bringing him to this opera house to him traveling to Italy, becoming an apprentice to a stone mason, then going to Persia and becoming a master assassin. Either way, he always ends up here at this opera house.

"Later on, a little girl by the name of Christine Daae is brought here by Madame Giry after her father died. One night, as she is crying for her father, a mysterious voice speaks to her. She identifies it as the Angel of Music, then the voice goes on to teach her how to sing. As she grows up, he begins to fall in love with her, but he can do nothing to act on his love for her as he is still acting as her Angel.

"One day, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny announces his patronage the same day that the new managers, Firmin and Andre, announce that they are the new owners of the Opera Populaire. Raoul recognizes Christine as she sings in the new opera, _Hannibal_, when Carlotta walked out. He goes to Christine and they reminisce about their childhood. Christine tells him that her Angel had visited her, but Raoul didn't believe her. He walked out of her room, insisting that he take her to dinner, not considering the protests coming from Christine."

"How inconsiderate." Erik ground out, interrupting the story.

"Yup. Now listen, I'm getting to the good part. After he leaves her room, a voice fills her room, totally ticked off. Christine tries to get the voice to calm down by saying that it was her fault, that her soul was weak, and she begged for forgiveness. The voice told her to look in the mirror. She did, and that's when she saw who her true Angel of Music was: the Phantom of the Opera.

"He led her down to his lair and it was there that he proposed marriage. She passed out from the shock of it and the Phantom carried her to the bed, laying her down in it and leaving her to work on his opera. When she woke up, she recalled that she was down in the Phantom's lair and walked up to him. This is where the story starts to turn for the worst. Are you sure you want to hear the rest of it?"

I saw his jaw clench as he nodded. "Yes, I can hear it."

I sighed. "Alright. She ripped his mask off. He turned on her and began to yell at her. But he later calmed down, putting the mask back on after Christine gave it back. He took her back topside and began to deliver some notes he had written to the managers, the Vicomte, and Carlotta, saying that Christine was to have the role of the Countess in the new opera _Il Muto_. After a little altercation between these people, they decided that Carlotta would play the Countess.

"The Phantom was not at all pleased, and he interrupted the performance when he found that the Vicomte had taken his beloved Box 5. He then killed Joseph Buquet. When Christine and Raoul found each other backstage, they ran to the roof in hopes of escaping the Phantom there. Little did they know that he was already there. It was on the roof that they professed their love for each other, unknowingly breaking the Phantom's heart.

"Three months later, the opera house held a Masquerade ball for the New Year, also celebrating 3 months of peace from the Phantom's antics. The Phantom showed up that night, dressed as Red Death, presenting his new opera, _Don Juan _Triumphant, demanding that they perform it and giving instructions, like Carlotta needing to learn how to act, Piangi losing weight, things of the sort.

"Christine needed to get away, so the following morning, she went to her father's grave. There, the Phantom intercepted her and tried to get her back, but Raoul rode in and fought the Phantom. When they returned to the opera house, Raoul proceeded to tell the managers of his plan, which was to get Christine to sing in the Phantom's opera. He was sure to attend and they could get him there. What they weren't counting on was the Phantom killing Piangi and taking his place as Don Juan. He sang his heart out to Christine, professing his love at the end of the song. How does Christine react? She rips his mask off a second time, this time in front of the entire audience!"

I heard Erik gasp. By this time, my eyes were shut, not wanting to see his reactions to any of the story.

"He took her back under, forcing her into a wedding dress that he had made for her. Raoul came to the lair to try to free Christine, but succeeded in getting himself tied to the portcullis by the Phantom. The Phantom gave Christine an ultimatum: choose him and Raoul would go free or choose Raoul and the Vicomte would die.

"Christine made her choice and chose the Phantom. But the Phantom knew that she chose him just to save Raoul, so he let them go. Christine came back to him, but only to return the engagement ring he had given her. He was never heard from again."

I finally opened my eyes, only to see Erik looking at his hands in shock and shame. "Are you saying that _I_ did all of that?"

I nodded grimly. "In the story, yes. There are other versions, but that is the best one. The other ones end a lot worse."

He looked at me, fire in his eyes. "What's worse than having your heart handed to you?"

I looked back at him with the same fire in my eyes. "What's worse is that you die in the other versions! Tears have been shed for your demise, mostly mine. I felt sorry for the man in the mask and every time I watched the musical, the movie, or read the books, I wanted to bash Christine's head against something hard to maybe knock some sense into her-"

Erik grabbed my throat, gently but firmly, and pushed me against the wall. "You will _never_ speak like that again about her!"

I regarded him calmly. "So it's true. You love her."

He sighed. "I do. I have been planning on revealing my true identity to her, but I could never find the right time to."

"Let me give you some advice: let her go. If you try to pursue a romantic relationship with her, it will only end in disaster."

He growled and pushed off of the wall, letting my throat go. "How do you know? What you just described to me were only stories. It may not really happen."

I gave him a look of pity. "Erik, every story there is of you…they never end with you winning Christine's love. I'm sorry, but I think it would be best to just let her go. It would save you – and her – a lot of pain."

His tense shoulders slump forward in a defeated stance. "So how do you suggest I let her go?"

"Well, you can still teach her, just forget about her, if you know what I'm saying"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't." he said, giving me a confused look.

"Just try not to think romantic or lovey-dovey thoughts while you teach her."

"I don't think I can keep teaching her. Every time I see her, I can't help but think about her and me together."

I huff. "Okay, then you don't have to teach her."

"But I have to teach someone. Who on earth would I teach that would accept me as she has? As you ha-" he broke off, looking at me. "You."

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

His face lit up with a smile. "Yes, you. I will tutor you in Christine's stead."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow that train of thought down. I didn't agree to these lessons. I mean, I haven't disagreed, either, but-"

"Think of it, Mandy, it would be perfect. You could further your musical ability as I continue tutelage. True, you may not be Christine, but you will be fine."

I suddenly got scared. I mean, yeah, I could sing, but not the operatic style of this time. What if he doesn't like my voice? What if I'm not good enough? He was right in one thing…I wasn't Christine, and that worried me. But I made my decision. "Are you sure that you would want to teach me? I can be a difficult student at times…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 is now up. Quick shoutout to The hounds girl. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

After I accepted Erik's offer of voice lessons, he took me back up to my room. We entered through what I soon realized was the mirror. _Awesome…_

"What was that?" Erik asked me.

"What was what?"

He chuckled. "It sounded like you whispered something."

"Oh. It was nothing. I just realized that you're bringing me through the mirror, just like in the story. You have no idea how many girls in my time dream of having their own Phantom bringing them through a mirror like this, but only going the other way." I said with a nervous chuckle.

As he walked me into my room, took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I look forward to our next meeting. I will hear you sing and assess your level of skill."

"Alright. Oh, before you go, why did you have me wear this dress?"

"I was going to… no reason. No reason at all." Was his reply.

I shrugged and let him off the hook. "Okay. And don't worry, I won't tell a soul about this. Not even my diary."

He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Goodnight, Mandy."

"Goodnight, Erik." I called out as he went back through the mirror-slash-door. I crawled under the covers and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

"Mandy, wake up!" I heard as a pillow smashed into my face.

I shot up and looked around, trying to find my assailant. "What the-"

Christine and Meg popped into my sight, Meg holding the pillow. "It's time to wake up." She said.

"We were getting worried. You wouldn't wake up." Christine stated.

_Huh, that's weird. Usually, I'm the lightest sleeper on the planet. Maybe the time travel did something to my sleeping habits…_ "Sorry if I worried you. So, what's first up on the schedule?"

Meg jumped in, explaining everything in complete detail. But I was paying more attention to Christine. She seemed withdrawn, not talking at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed…depressed.

Meg then proceeded to drag me off of my bed and shove me into the bathroom with dress in hand. Once she basically shoved me into the dress and fixed my hair in a little bun, I was ready to go in her eyes.

"Alright, now we go down to the dining hall and get breakfast, then we go to the stage to practice. You can watch from one of the seats if you like." Meg chirped. I only had a chance to nod as she again drug me, this time to the dining hall. Christine silently followed, looking at her feet the entire way.

Once we separated from her, I asked Meg, "What's wrong with Christine? She seems so depressed today."

"Oh, her? I wouldn't worry about it. She gets like this whenever her Angel doesn't come and teach her. But she's always better later on." Meg explained.

"Oh." was all I could say. _I think I know the reason for her down mood now…_

As we got our food, which _finally_ wasn't soup – it was oatmeal and toast – and sat down to eat, Meg turned to me. "Have you remembered anything yet?"

I shook my head. "No, I still don't know how I got here." _Well, it wasn't a total lie…_

She smiled sympathetically at me. "Well, I hope you figure everything out soon. I know if I were you, I would hate to be in the dark about everything."

"Yeah," I said distractedly, as I noticed a swish of a cape in the dark corner across from us. _Erik, are you doing what I think you're doing?_

"So, do you sing or dance?" Meg suddenly asked me.

I was taking a bite of my breakfast when she asked me this. It was so sudden and unexpected that I almost choked. Once I got my coughing spell over with, I gulped. "I sing, but I'm not that good."

"Oh, hush, I bet you're wonderful!" Meg said. "As a matter of fact, sometimes, at night, the ballet girls go to the stage and sing and play around. We're going tonight if you're interested. "

"Phantom?" I asked, feigning confusion.

"Oh, that's right. I haven't told you yet. Well, the Phantom of the Opera supposedly lives underneath the opera house, but no one is brave enough to go and see. He plays pranks on the cast and crew, dropping paint cans or scaring the wits out of the drunken stagehands. But really, he's harmless. Once in a while, we'll see a flash of a white mask or hear the swish of a cape, but they're just figments of our imaginations." She explains. "So do you want to go with us?"

I pretend to think about it, but I already know my answer. "I better not. I don't think you would want to hear me squawk."

"Oh come on," Meg persisted. "I think you would be really good. Christine, don't you think she would be good?" she asked, turning to Christine.

"Christine snapped out of her reverie. "What? Oh, yes, I think you would be really good, Mandy."

I sighed. "Alright, fine. But you two owe me." They didn't hear me over Meg's squeal of joy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay, Chapter 7! Shoutout to DustatchingAtTheImpala. Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

The day consisted of me watching Meg and Christine dance their hearts out in rehearsal, lunch, more dance rehearsal, then finally a little bit of rest in my room. Once I got there, I flopped on my bed, only to be jabbed in the stomach my multiple solid things.

"What the…" I trailed off as I took in the sight before me: it was all of the things I used to use back in my time! My tablet, my phone, a few books, and pants and T-shirts. I thanked the good Lord above – especially for the jeans. I could wear them underneath my dress and not feel as awkward.

"What is that?" I heard from the mirror, startling me so much that I dropped my jeans and jumped. I knew it was Erik, but the unexpectedness of him being there was what made me start.

"Geez, Erik, what do you want to do? Give me a heart attack?" I kidded with him, holding a hand over my heart, willing it to slow down.

"My sincerest apologies. But really, what is that that you have on your bed?" he asked, coming out from behind the mirror.

"My phone, tablet, some books, and some clothes from my time. But I don't get it: what are they doing here? How did they get here?"

"Those are two questions in my mind as well, but I do have a few more. First of all, what is a phone?"

I laughed. I totally forgot that Erik didn't know what a phone was. "A phone is something that you can talk to different people on, whether it be actually talking to them, or sending them messages, like you would in a letter. It also plays music, takes pictures, and you can play games on it. And before you ask, a tablet is the same thing, only you can't talk to people on it unless you are connected to…" _Oh boy, how do I explain Wi-Fi?_

He holds his hands up. "Alright, I think that is enough explanation of these strange contraptions. Another question: why on Earth would you wear men's clothing?" he asked, holding up a pair of jeans.

I grabbed them out of his hands. "In my time, both males and females wear pants like this. To be honest, I would much rather wear pants than these dresses. More free-range in pants. Plus, I've always been sort of a tomboy."

He shook his head. "Okay, if you say so."

I nodded affirmatively with a smile. "I do. Any other questions?"

"No. Thankfully, I know what books are." He said with a chuckle.

We stood in silence for a moment before I grabbed a red T-shirt and ran to the bathroom to put the new clothes on. After stripping out of everything 19th century and dressed in my beloved 21st century garb. I sighed in relief as I got everything situated, neatly folding my dress and underthings. I walked out of the bathroom, only to find that Erik was nowhere to be found. I shrugged and set the clothes in my arms on the bed.

"What in the world..?" I heard being whispered. It was Erik, no doubt.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Erik, these are the clothes I wear every day in my time. If you don't like it, then tough."

The mirror slid open again, this time to reveal a shocked-looking Erik. "How can women not wear dresses in your time and not be ridiculed?"

"This is the new fashion. I know men in this time think that it is absolutely appalling for women to wear pants, but I don't get those weirdoes. I mean, sure, pants show off the shape of a girl's legs, but have you worn a dress lately? Too many layers, the corset crushes your guts, and you have to carry around so much more weight than you need. It really takes it out of ya, I tell you. What?" I asked, noticing Erik's confused face.

"Are all females from your time this spirited?" he asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

About an hour later, Meg came and collected me, taking me to the stage. Thankfully, I had just finished putting my dress on over my jeans as soon as she barged in. So there we were, on the stage, the other ballet girls messing around, trying to sound like Carlotta. They were horrible at it, but I think they did a better job at being Carlotta than Carlotta herself.

"Hey Mandy, why don't you sing us a song?" Meg asked with a smug look. I could've slapped her right then and there. Of course, then I would have apologized.

"I don't know…"  
>"Ah, come on, Mandy. I know you can do it. Sing a song. Sing a song…" Meg got the other ballet girls to chant along with her. Even Christine was chanting, seeming to be out of her little funk.<p>

I sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll sing. What do you want me to sing? I don't know any opera."

"It doesn't have to be from an opera. Sing a folk song or a lullaby or something." One of the ballet girls said.

I thought for a minute, then it came to me. "Okay, here goes…"

_"__Look at me, _

_You may think you see, _

_Who I really am, _

_But you'll never know me, _

_Every day, _

_It's as if I play a part, _

_Now I see, _

_If I wear a mask, _

_I can fool the world, _

_But I cannot fool my heart, _

_Who is that girl I see, _

_Staring straight back at me, _

_When will my reflection show, _

_Who I am inside, _

_I am now, _

_In a world where I, _

_Have to hide my heart, _

_And what I believe in, _

_But somehow, _

_I will show the world, _

_What's inside my heart, _

_And be loved for who I am, _

_Who is that girl I see, _

_Staring straight back at me, _

_Why is my reflection, _

_Someone I don't know, _

_Must I pretend that I'm, _

_Someone else for all time, _

_When will my reflection show, _

_Who I am inside, _

_There's a heart that must be,_

_Free to fly, _

_That burns with a need to know, _

_The reason why, _

_Why must we all conceal,_

_What we think, how we feel, _

_Must there be a secret me, _

_I'm forced to hide, _

_I won't pretend that I'm, _

_Someone else for all time, _

_When will my reflection show, _

_Who I am inside,_

_When will my reflection show, _

_Who I am inside?"_

I looked around at the faces of the other girls, only to be greeted by shocked faces.

"What? Was I that bad?"

**The song used in this chapter is ****_Reflection_**** by Christina Aguilera. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright, after this chapter, I believe I need to slow down on updating this story. I'm not going to stop altogether, I just need to catch up on my writing because after this chapter, I have nothing! Also, referring back to a few reviews, I am sorry if I am moving too fast in this story. I try not to move too fast, but as my fellow writers know all too well, sometimes you just can't help it. Shoutouts go to Sissie131 and tazzledmuch. And now, chapter 8!**

Chapter 8

The next thing I knew, I was with Meg and Christine in front of Madame Giry's door, the girls' incessant pounding rousing Madame Giry out of a peaceful sleep.

"Do you girls have any idea what time it is? Why in the world are you calling on me at this ungodly hour?" she demanded.

Meg and Christine began to talk over each other, both of them exclaiming that I should be hired on in the chorus.

"One at a time, girls." Madame Giry said, putting a hand to her head, trying to figure out what they were saying.

Meg went first. "Maman, Mandy sings like an angel."

I interrupted her right there. "No I don't! Trust me, I am nowhere near that good."

Christine waved her hand on dismiss. "Madame, she is amazing! You should talk to the managers about hiring her, at least for the chorus."

Madame Giry pinned me with a scrutinizing look. "Can you dance?"

I scoffed. "Yeah, I can dance when pigs fly."

All I got were confused looks. I sighed as I clarified. "No, I cannot dance."

Madame Giry sighed and closed her eyes. "I won't make any promises, Mandy, but I'll see what I can do. I'll talk to the managers in the morning. In the meantime, you girls go to sleep! I will not have you falling asleep during rehearsal tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." We echoed as she shut her door. When the latch clicked, they both turned on me and embraced me in bear hugs.

"Um, guys…can't…breathe…" I managed to squeak out.

They instantly retreated, both muttering their apologies. I laughed and suggested that we head on the bed. They agreed wholeheartedly, all of the excitement wearing them out. As we headed back to the dormitories, I could have sworn that I heard someone say _Brava_…_brava… bravissima…_

"Did I hear you earlier in the hall?" I asked a seemingly empty room once I entered and shut the door, locking it behind me.

"And what if you did?" came the reply from the mirror. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, I was just wondering. Making sure that there wasn't another ghost haunting the opera house."

I felt a hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me to a warm body. "You and I both know that I am no ghost. I am merely a man, no more. So, if I may ask, what made you sing tonight with the ballet girls?"

I blushed. "I don't know, I just felt like singing. When I sing, I let my feelings out. It's my stress relief, and Lord knows I've been under a lot of it since I've came here."

As he released my wrist, he looked at me, a certain emotion in his eyes. "Well, if I may, you have an exquisite voice."

My face must have looked like a tomato at this point. "Thank you."

He chuckled that masculine chuckle of his. "There is no need to thank me, I merely state the truth. Another truth is that I can help you develop your voice. Your voice as it is right now is great, but with my tutoring, you will be perfect."

"Well, I don't know about it being perfect per say…" I trailed off, my brain kicking in. _Hey, wait a second. I can't take voice lessons from him, Christine is supposed to be the only one to take lessons from him! Oh no, I knew being here would mess something up. How do I fix this? If I decline his lessons, he would think it was either because of his face or because I think him to be a monster. On the other hand, if I accept, then who knows what would happen? Me, I would know what would happen. I've read plenty of fanfictions, I know exactly what would happen! What to do…_

My hesitance must have been a sign of rejection for Erik. "If you would prefer not to, I understand-"  
>"No! No, I would like to, but I don't know how I could go about this. I've already most likely messed up this timeline by just being here. I don't want to mess anything else up, and I'm afraid that if I accept these lessons, change will come."<p>

He nodded in understanding. "Well the offer stands for whenever you would like to accept."

"Thank you. I promise that I will take at least one lesson from, whether in singing or organ playing or drawing or whatever. Maybe a lesson in the ways of 'phantoming'."

We both laughed, then Erik grew serious. "I will try my best to think of a subject to tutor you in. I think we both would benefit."

I looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

He shook his head in dismissal. "Another time, _mon cherie_. For now, though, I believe you need some rest. I will speak with you tomorrow."

As he said this, the most massive yawn decided to strike. "Yeah, I think my brain needs some shutdown time."

He took my hand in his and pressed his lips to the top of my hand. "Until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. See you then." I said, blushing as he released my hand, backing up to the mirror. As he disappeared behind the mirror, I climbed under my covers and fell asleep fast, dreaming of music and phantoms.


	9. Chapter 9

**A new chapter, yayz! I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and also, just so I don't get sued, I don't own Phantom of the Opera. I own two movies, multiple songs, and two books of Phantom, but that's as far as ownership goes, I'm afraid...**

Chapter 9

The next day, I woke up to the sun shining in my eyes. If being blinded first thing in the morning wasn't enough, imagine being blinded as well as deafened by ever-so screeching Carlotta. _Great, I see how this day is gonna go…_

As I readied myself for the day, I could feel my mood going in a downward spiral, only being lifted up a little bit at the fact that Madame Giry would try to get me a job.

_But what if they don't like me?_ I began to think. _What if they don't like my voice? What if the girls were lying and I sound like toadie over there? I can't do this. I just can't…_

As I was about to just say forget it, a song came to me. A song that I knew perfectly and would most likely be a hit with the managers. Maybe, just maybe, it would work…

I strode out of my room, holding my head up confidently. I was gonna knock their socks off should they let me audition.

Just as I walked in the door to the auditorium, Meg ran up to me and embraced me in a crushing hug. "Oh, Mandy, it's wonderful!"

I felt as if a boa constrictor was latched onto me. "That's great…but you know what…isn't wonderful right now..? My lungs…need…air…"

She let me go, a blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm sorry. But still, it is absolutely wonderful!"

"What's wonderful? I don't feel like playing 20 Questions this morning, so just tell me."

For a second, Meg pinned me with a confused look. "20 Questions?" She shook her head. "Anyways, _maman_ talked to the mangers this morning, and they have agreed to let you audition for the chorus!"

"Oh, well I guess that is good." I said in shock. I was certain that they wouldn't give me a chance.

"Good? It's wonderful, it's fantastic, it's…it's…well, you get what I mean." She exclaimed.

"So when do I audition?"

She gestured to the empty stage. "Whenever you're ready."

_Oh, great. Right off the bat. Well I guess it's better than having to wait and stress out all day…_ I thought to myself. "Okay, let's get this thing over with."

I walked onto the stage, my confidence on the outside never faltering, but on the inside, I was screaming bloody murder. _SOMEONE HELP ME!_

The managers, Andre and Firmin, noticed me after a moment. "Ah, are you ready?" Andre asked. I merely nodded. He clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Now, will you be needing any accompaniment?"

"No, sir. I would actually be surprised if anyone knew this song."

Firmin game me a curious glance similar to the one Meg gave me mere moments before. "And why is that, mademoiselle?"

I hesitated. "It's…from where I'm from. I doubt anyone here has heard it yet."

They both nodded in understanding. "Alright, mademoiselle. Whenever you're ready." Andre announced.

I took a deep breath. _I can do this…_

_"__Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_They strung up a man,_

_They say who murdered three,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where dead man called out,_

_For his love to flee,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where I told you to run,_

_So we'd both be free,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Wear a necklace of hope,_

_Side by side with me,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where I told you to run,_

_So we'd both be free,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_"__Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_They strung up a man,_

_They say who murdered three,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree,_

_Are you, are you,_

_Coming to the tree?_

_Where dead man called out,_

_For his love to flee,_

_Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

_If we met at midnight in the hanging tree…"_

I looked at the faces of the managers and Madame Giry, all of which were in shock. The only face that I saw that didn't show shock was Meg's, which held a smirk. "See? I told you she could sing…"

**The song used in this chapter belongs to Suzanne Collins, as it is in the book The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. It is also in the movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Is it just me, or is that movie the best Hunger Games movie yet? And the sons is absolutely beautiful! If you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you look it up on Youtube. Thank you for tuning in to this little disclaimer-turned-plugging-for-a-beautiful-song!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy late New Years! Chapter 10 is up! Shoutout to Sephira1, jamie0360, and XXPay4XtraShippingsXX. Now, onward...**

Chapter 10

"So, let me get this straight. You want me to sing, all by myself, in front of all of Parisian society, with my songs that I don't even know they'll like? When I don't know they'll even like me?!"

Monsieur Andre tried to calm me down. "Mademoiselle, please, try to listen to reason-"

I scoffed. "Oh, I'm listening to reason, alright. And that reason is telling me that this is crock! There's no way I can do this!"

Madame Giry decided to intervene. "Mademoiselle Mandy, at least think about it, please. That is all I am asking. We are in our down season right now, so we usually put on performances of just a few songs, nothing like a full-scale opera. We had been trying to find a young lady who would be able to fill in for one of our other performers, as she will be traveling back to her homeland for an engagement there."

"Ah, you mean La Carlotta? I heard from the other girls that she was going away for a while." _That means my ears won't be assaulted by her voice for a couple months…_

"Yes. She is usually the one to perform, as she is the prima donna, but since she is leaving, there is no one else to take her place." Firmin interjected.

"But why not one of the chorus girls, like Christine Daae? I've heard her in rehearsals. She sounds much better than me. Plus, I have never been taught. She has a tutor, does she not?"

I saw Madame Giry stiffen, her eyes filled with shock. No one else notices, though.

"As true as that may be, mademoiselle, we believe the populace needs a newer, fresher face. Someone they have not seen before. Mademoiselle Christine has been in the ballet and the chorus numerous times as she has lived here longer. But you have only just arrived. As I said before, we need a new face to liven things up a bit." Andre explained.

"And I am sure that they will fall in love with you as soon as they hear your voice." Firmin added.

I was silent, thinking on whether I should accept or not. _Well, I'm pretty sure I've already messed everything up by being here, so what would be the harm? Erik already offered lessons to me, so surely he wouldn't mind me singing on his stage…_

"May I have some time to think about it, please, monsieurs?"

They nodded their heads, reminding me of the Einstein bobbleheads from _Night at the Museum 2_, Andre looking even more so with his hair. It took all I could not to laugh. "Thank you, monsieurs, and thank you for your consideration."

I walked back to my room as fast as I could without running. I wanted to see if Erik would be there. Sure enough, he was.

"Erik, did you hear? They want me to sing when Carlotta is away! What am I going to do?"

He gave me a confused look from his place in my now-open mirror. "I thought you would have been excited."

"Well, I am. I mean, it's not like every day you're offered a place on one of the greatest stages in the world. I just don't know what I would sing, or if they would even like me. What is they don't? What if I stink and they throw rotten tomatoes at me?"

"I don't think there will be any rotten tomatoes to throw. One does not usually carry any on their person." He said, a smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean. I don't think I can do this…"

He walked over to me and gently took my shoulders on his hands, turning me to face him. "Mandy, stop worrying. You will do fine. But if you feel like you could improve your skill, my previous offer still stands…"

I sighed deeply. "Okay, if you're gonna keep on bringing it up, fine. I'll take the dang lessons."

A smile crept on his face. "Good. Meet me in Box 5 at midnight tonight. We will start then."

He backed into the mirror, shutting it as he went back down the path to his lair. There was something about how he handled this whole situation. I would have bet all my money on him having reservations about me singing instead of Christine, not him doing the opposite and encouraging me. There was definitely something hinky going on there…

I spent an hour in my room, trying to find comfort in my books. When that didn't work, I tried playing games on my phone. No such luck. I finally decided to turn to the fanfiction I had been reading before I came to this time. It was a really good one, too. Same I wasn't going to be able to finish it. But then I saw a flash of blue in the corner of my tablet. It was the Wifi signal bars – and they were full!

_What in the world..?_ I thought. As I finished the chapter I was on, I hit the next button just to see what it would do. Sure enough, it went to the next chapter.

"Well this is unexpected…" I said to myself. I went to my phone to see if I had signal. Surprisingly, I did. _Can I call home and tell them I'm fine?_

I tried to place a call, but no such luck. It didn't even ring. It just turned off. I turned it back on, knowing the battery wasn't dead because it had a full charge when it arrived. It turned back on and showed my Phantom lock screen. I tried to text this time, but it still didn't work. I got on the Internet once it booted back up and, finally, it worked. _Hmm…wonder if I could get on Tumblr?_

I could, and it was most refreshing.

More time had passed until my alarm (Meg coming to my door and trying to knock it down with her fists) went off, telling me it was supper time.

_Wow, that time already? I guess things never really change when it comes to me and the Internet…_

I walked out my door, only to be tackled by Meg. "I know I never got the chance to tell you before, but you were amazing in your audition! I've never heard that song before, but it was beautiful. How did you learn to sing that well?"

_Dang, she could be an auctioneer if she wanted to…_ I thought to myself. It took me a minute to process that she had asked me a question. "I never really learned. I just…sang."

She raved about my voice all the way down to the dining hall, where everyone stared at me strangely. "What? Do I have something on my face?" I asked no one in particular.

A member of the chorus stood. "We all either heard or heard of your audition and how it went. And may I just say, mademoiselle, your voice is quite good." He said, taking my hand in his and pressing a kiss to my knuckles.

I stared in shock. "Oh! Um, thanks…"

Meg pulled me away from the man and towards the food table. "That's Jacques. He is sometimes over affectionate, but always means well."

I nodded, looking over my shoulder to find some people still staring at me. "Dang, you would have thought I was the Phantom or something."

Meg stiffened. "What did you say?"

I realized my mistake. "I said you would think I would be a phantom or a ghost from the way they're looking at me."

She forced a laugh. "Yes, I suppose so. Shall we eat?" she asked, almost running to an empty seat.

I looked after her, then saw some lingering eyes. I turned away in frustration. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay, Chapter 11 is up! I'm sorry, but it may be a bit of a cliffhanger, although you may figure out where it's gonna go in the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 11

Midnight seemed to take forever to come, but, at last, it did. I dressed for comfort in a T-shirt and jeans. I mean, what was the harm? Erik had already seen me in them and no one else was going to see me.

I found my way to Box 5 with the light from my phone. Of course, it was going to serve a dual purpose: to light my way, as well as to show Erik at least one wonder of my time. I figured he would also like to hear some of the music that was on it. I didn't think he would like the modern day stuff, but maybe the classical songs would be to his liking.

At last, I reached Box 5 with only a stubbed toe. _Hey, only one minor injury. I'm getting better at this…_

I sat in one of the seats in the box, awaiting my new tutor and mulling over how much my life had changed in the short time I had been there. I went from being a senior in high school, writing fanfictions, and being a normal seventeen year old to being in the timeline of _The Phantom of the Opera_, about to take lessons from the Phantom himself, and I was pretty sure that the whole story was messed up, all thanks to me. On top of all that, I had no idea how to get back to my time, to my friends and family…

Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of all the people I had left behind. My parents, Emmy, all of my friends from drama club. Why couldn't I have the best of both worlds? Why couldn't it have been Erik to fall into my world that way I wouldn't feel this loneliness? But then I would feel bad for him because I knew he would feel this same loneliness, missing Christine, possibly even Madame Giry…_I wonder if Nadir is in this timeline….._

"Why the tears, _mon cherie_?"

I jumped at the voice suddenly invading my thoughts. "Will you ever get tired of scaring the life out of me, ghostie?"

He growled as he came out of the wall. "Will _you_ ever get tired of calling me that horrid name?"

"Nope, so I guess we're even." I said, giving a smug smile.

He shook his head. "Very well. Shall we get started with the lesson?"

Two hours of grueling practice later, Erik finally decided to stop for the night. I couldn't be more relieved.

"You show much potential, but you still need some work." He said as we both sat down in the seats of Box 5.

I sighed. "I figured as much. But that means a lot, coming from you. Thanks."

We sat in silence before I felt the bulge in my pocket. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. I brought something and I wanted to know what you thought." I said, pulling my phone out and unlocking it. It blinded both of us for a moment. I turned the brightness all the way down so our eyes wouldn't be assaulted.

"What is it?" Erik asked me, observing it closely.

"It's my phone. I brought it to play some music for you."

His attention was on me when I said the word 'music'. "Music? How can that small thing play music? There are no instruments."

I giggled. "Welcome to the technological advances of the 21st century, ghostie. In my time, you can record the instruments and put the sounds onto something like this phone. You can play it over and over to your heart's content. Well, at least until the battery runs out. Before you ask, I will explain the wonderful work of the battery and a miracle called electricity later. I don't think I'm awake enough to explain those quite yet."

He nodded. "Alright. So, what will you be playing for us tonight, mademoiselle?"

"I figured I'd leave it up to you. I made a list of songs I thought you would enjoy. Look through the list by just sliding your finger over the list. When you see one you like, tap it." I explained, handing the phone over to him.

He took it, hesitation on his face. "Are you sure-"

"Yes, I'm sure. You won't break it, trust me. This little thing has been with me through thick and thin and it hasn't broken yet. I trust it in your hands."

He sighed and looked at the phone in his hands. "It responds to touch?"

"Yup. All you have to do is slide a finger over the screen and tap the name of the song that you want to play."

He took a shuddering breath and gently put his finger on the screen, swiping it upwards. When the list moved along with his finger, he gasped. "What the-"

I laughed. "Do you want me to do it for you?"

He shook his head. "No, I am perfectly capable of doing this simple task." He said as he scrolled again. His eyes widened in amazement. "How does this work?"

I shrugged. "That's been something I've been trying to figure out myself, but I guess only the experts know."

He scrolled for a few seconds, then picked one. "That one."

I saw which song he pointed at: _Toccata and Fugue_. "I figured you would pick that one. Tap it."

He bounced his finger off of the screen, tapping it with a lot of force. As soon as the song spilled out of the speaker, he tossed the phone away from him and pushed the seat back. I burst out laughing at his reaction.

He pulled himself together, straightening his jacket. I couldn't help but laugh even harder. "Before you say anything, I know: this didn't happen."

He nodded regally. "I am happy to see we are on the same page."

It was silent except for the music coming from my phone. Once the song was over, I asked him, "Do you want to listen to another?"

"Yes. You do have quite a good taste in music." He replied.

A smile broke out on my face. "That means a lot, coming from you. Thank you. Now, do you want me to pick the next song?"

"It is only fair."

I nodded as I took the phone and went through the list. After finding one of my favorites, I selected it and let it play. He gasped sharply and looked at me. "Where did you find this song?"

"Umm…iTunes..."

**I do not own ****_Toccata and Fugue_****, nor do I own ****_Phantom of the Opera..._****wish I did, though...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 is here! Shoutouts to Konan720, , and Flower Blossoms. For some reason, all of my FanFiction notifications went to my spam and these were the only people I could find who favorited or followed this story, so if I have missed any of you, please let me know. Now, on with the story...**

Chapter 12

He jumped out of his seat. "Where…did you…get…that song?"

I took a deep breath. "Okay, so do you remember when I explained how I knew everything? How I said there were many versions of your story, including one with music?"

He nodded. "But what does it have to do with that song?"

"The song was in the musical. Your character sings it. It's called-"

"_Music of the Night_," he interrupted. "I should know, I wrote it."

I gawked. "You mean you actually wrote that song? I've been singing one of your actual compositions and I didn't even know it?!"

He smirked. "You've sung it, have you?"

I blushed. "Of course, I have. It's a very beautiful song, as well as one of my favorites. But that's not the point."

"Then what is the point? That maybe my work was stolen? Or perhaps the author of this story just had the song come to him?"

"Well, if you would listen, then maybe I would tell you what I think…"

He huffed and plopped down into a chair. "By all means, explain."

"Well….someone else could have gotten to your music and just passed it along in their family or something like that."

"Who on earth would…wait…"

"What is it?"

He suddenly growled. "Nadir…"

"So he is in this story line…" I muttered in amazement.

He turned to me, eyes wide. "What did you say?"

I gulped. "Well, Mr. Kahn is mentioned in several story lines."

"What makes him special enough to be mentioned in at least _one_ of those stories?" he ground out, obviously ticked.

"In one of them, he saved you from being murdered by the Shah of Persia."

He guffawed. "Like that nincompoop could do something that miraculous. He could barely walk a straight line. No, I saved myself. He just did as I planned. I could never figure out how he acquired the position of Daroga."

"Wow." Was simply all I could say.

By the time we were finally silent, the song had ended, the last chord ringing through the box. I wondered if I should say something. _Oh yeah, Mandy. What would you say? The weather is nice for this time of year?_

As I was debating with myself on what to say, he stood up. "I think it is time for you to head back to your room and get some rest."

I shook myself out of my thoughts and stood up beside him. "Yes, I guess it is."

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before he offered me his hand. "Would you like me to escort you back to your quarters?"

Shocked, I could only mutter a small 'yes'. He took my hand – his hands weren't ice cold, they were super warm and soft – and led me to the wall. "Um, Erik? I'm pretty sure that this is a wall, not my room."

"Shh…" was all he said. Then he pressed his finger against the wall. As he pulled his hand away from the wall, the wall followed, revealing a tunnel.

"Oh," I said. "It's a hidden door. That makes more sense."

He laughed – he had a really nice laugh – as he led me into the path. It was pitch dark, I couldn't see a thing, but he led me down the path as if it were the brightest part of the day. I kept on tripping over rocks and such, while he just strode along, his gait unfaltering.

"Okay, how is it that you can see in this dark? I've stubbed my toes I don't know how many times just in the past three minutes and – WOAH!"

During my little rant, he had stopped and let go of my hand, only to turn around and pick me up bridal style and start back down the path again. "Is this better?"

_Hmm, I don't know… being carried by the Phantom of the Opera, which has only happened in my dreams…For all I know, this could be a dream as well…But for a dream Erik, he's pretty buff…_ "I think it's a bit of an improvement, yes."

He laughed again – gosh darn it, his laugh was deep. The walk – or rather, for me, ride – the rest of the way to my room was silent, other than the time I was humming a little bit to pass the time. He cut me off abruptly after only a few measures into the song. "You need to rest your voice. That means no more humming."

"But-"

He pinned me with a glare. I sighed "Okay, okay, I get the hint: shut up."

He nodded affirmatively, silence ensuing once again.

Finally, we reached the mirror passage to my room. He stopped right in front of the glass door. "Well, here we are."

"Mhm." I waited a few seconds. "Um, Erik?"

"Yes?"

"You can put me down now."

"Oh!" he exclaimed, setting me down, almost dropping me like a hot potato.

"Thanks. So, I guess I'll see you at our next lesson, huh?"

"Yes. Midnight in Box 5, same as tonight. Until then…" he said, taking my hand and kissing the back of it.

That little action never seemed to fail to get me to blush. "Okay then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He whispered as he opened the door.

I walked into my room and turned back to the mirror to see it already shut. I went back to the mirror and knocked gently on it. "Erik? Erik, are you still there?"

There was no sign of him being there, so I figured he had left. With that little revelation, I did what any other Phangirl would do: I danced around until I couldn't move any more, therefore flopping on the bed and instantly falling into a deep, sweet sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for my prolonged absence. I plead insanity, and by insanity, I mean writer's block and Walking Dead. Anyways, shoutouts to goldengamergirl22, jackluis343, GosaJane, and all of my reviewers. Speaking of reviews, all would be greatly appreciated. Now, without further ado, the next chapter!**

Chapter 13

"What on Earth is she wearing?"

This statement was what I woke up to the next morning. Groggily, I barely opened my eyes, only to see the ever-famous duo of Meg and Christine standing by my bed.

"I don't know, Meg. Look, she's waking up."

I raised my head up from the bed, trying to find my pillows. I looked all around the bed, then found them perfectly made to the left of me, I was laying sideways on the bed, like I had just collapsed on it…wait…

_The lesson last night, the kiss on my hand, the Phangirl dance…passing out…oh boy, this is gonna be fun to explain…_

I waved sleepily. "Morning, girls."

Meg cut right to the chase. "What are you wearing? We've never seen an outfit like that. And why are you wearing trousers?"

I put my hand on my head. "Whoa, Meg, too many questions this early in the morning. One at a time, please."

"What are you wearing?" she enunciated.

"Well, it's a funny story. You see…"

Madame Giry picked that exact same moment to walk into my room. "Girls, why are you still in here? You need to be getting-" she cut off as she took in what I was wearing. "What in the world-"

"I know what you're thinking, let me explain. Actually, I was about to explain to Meg and Christine." I gave a nervous laugh, stalling my explanation while try to find a suitable one other than 'I'm from the future'. "The thing is…well, um…"

"Any day, mademoiselle." Madame Giry said.

I let out a deep sigh. "Okay, you're probably going to think me mad, but it's the truth, I swear it. I…I'm-"

I was interrupted by a herd of people rushing down the hallway. Madame Giry looked out the door, then back at me. "You will have to explain later. For now, just get dressed and go to the auditorium. The managers are there, waiting for your answer. Girls, come along." She said as she strode out the door, Meg and Christine hot on her heels.

I flopped back on the bed, heaving a sigh of relief. _Now I have about 12 hours before they put me in a nuthouse…_

I walked into the auditorium, a certain three pairs of eyes following me to where the managers stood. "Monsieurs," I greeted them.

They turned to me with surprise in their eyes. "Ah, mademoiselle Mandy. Good morning." Andre exclaimed.

"I hope you have come to us with your answer to our proposition." Firmin said, cutting right to the chase.

"I have, actually. I've decided that I'll go ahead and do it. But I have a couple conditions."

"And they would be..?" asked Andre.

"I will only do one performance to see how the audience will like me. If they like me, I will continue to sing for you. But if they don't, then I will not do another performance. I will also be able to pick my own songs. I don't know much opera. I would feel more comfortable singing songs I am familiar with. Besides, you already said that you needed something fresh and new. I think this is about as new as you're gonna get." I stated, seriousness covering my face. They needed to know I meant business, and they picked up on it pretty quickly.

"Deal. Welcome to the Opera Populaire." Firmin said, gesturing to the stage. "Your practices will be scheduled by Madame Giry and our conductor, Monsieur Reyer. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a few things to take care of in the office."

"Thank you." I said as they turned and left. I had a sneaky feeling that one of those 'things' that they needed to take care of was something dealing with Erik.

Madame Giry walked up to me, a smile on her face. "I am happy to hear about your decision to join us, child. Welcome."

"Thank you, madame."

"Well, we should introduce you to Monsieur Reyer. Come along." She said, already walking towards the orchestra pit. I had to nearly run to catch up with her.

Once we reached the pit, I saw that Monsieur Reyer looked exactly like the man that portrayed him in the 2004 movie. _What did Schumacher do? Go back in time and film the events as they happened? This is super creepy._

Madame Giry cleared her throat, getting Reyer's attention. "Monsieur, I would like to introduce you to-"

"Oh, I know who she is," he said, interrupting her. "You are the girl that the managers are raving about. It is a pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle." He then grabbed my hand and squeezed it in a gentle yet firm shake.

"An honor to meet you as well, monsieur." I replied, silently wondering why he shook my hand. _So far, Erik and Jacques have been the only ones to kiss my hand, and Jacques only did it to show off. Hmm…_

"So," Reyer said, effectively shaking me out of my musings. "We will be setting a time aside for you to rehearse on stage without anyone around but Madame Giry and myself. Then we will start adding people to be sort of a mock audience, cast and crew mostly. We want to keep your talent to ourselves for a little while before you blow the whole of Parisian society away. But, from what the managers have told me, it won't take long for you to get used to an audience. But you seem quite comfortable on the stage, from what I hear."

_Wow, they really think that much of me?_ "Um, yeah. It just feels like a second home to me, I guess."

"If you don't mind my asking, where is your first home?" he asked me.

To be honest, I was quite stumped. _Should I tell him the truth or wait until after I tell Madame Giry and the girls tonight? Either way, I should tell him something…_ "I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk about it at this moment. Please understand-"

"Say no more, mademoiselle." He interrupted. "Feel free to talk about it whenever you want. Now, today, we have the stage all to ourselves, since all the cast and crew have the day off. So, if you please…"

He gestured to the stage, motioning for me to go up there. I nodded and walked that way. I thought it was sweet for him to offer an ear in case I needed to talk to someone. I just wasn't sure if I was ready to tell him everything…


	14. Chapter 14

**Whoo, Chapter 14! Sorry for the delay, writer's block is a pain. Also, I may need some help trying to figure out a few songs later on in the story for the performance, so if you have a song you think I should use, either send me a private message or put it in a review. I look forward to your suggestions! Shoutouts to TheAlleyCat18, Lizzybug2000, HopefulLullaby, and Sayuri494. Now, onto the chapter!**

Chapter 14

After my second grueling practice in less than 24 hours, I officially decided that singing was the most exhausting thing ever to do in a dress. Singing in regular clothes was no problem, but with that dang corset on? It was like a whale had eaten an elephant and was sitting on my diaphragm. It was fine during dress rehearsal and the performance back in my time, but here it was very hard. I knew at that time that this wasn't a dream. The pain and the breathing issues would have for sure made me wake up if I were sleeping. But, alas, I was not.

Monsieur Reyer finally called it quits, walking out of the auditorium. Once I got to look at a clock, I did my calculations. _Let's see, I started practice at 8 in the morning and it is now 4 in the afternoon, with only a 30-minute break for lunch. That means I've been singing for…_

"Seven and a half hours?!" I exclaimed. _How am I still alive, much less still able to sing?_

"Even I was wondering how you were able to go on for that long." A voice said, cutting through the now silent room.

I looked up at Box 5, seeing Erik in his usual attire of a black suit and cape. "When are you going to stop sneaking up on me? One of these days, you're going to give me a heart attack and I will die and you will have no one to entertain you anymore."

"Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?" he asked sarcastically, a playful smirk on his face.

I shook my head. "Nope. Who would replace me in the performance? Who would replace me as the most entertaining thing in your life?"

He disappeared back into the box, appearing on the stage with me a couple minutes later. "Have you figured out what songs you are going to sing?"

My playful mood deflated. "No, and I have no idea where to even start. Most of the music from this time I have don't have words, and the modern music I have may not be appropriate for the whole proprietorial rules of Parisian society. Furthermore, they may mess some stuff up for the time thing." I said, pacing the stage.

"Sing one."

I turned to look at him. "Pardon?"

"Sing one of your modern songs for me. I will tell you whether they will like it or not."

I scoffed. "I don't really think you would be the best judge. You may be a maestro, but in the stories, your _Don Juan Triumphant_, while very good in my opinion, caused a lot of stir in Parisian society. These songs, to say the least, could rival that. They're not the style I think would be appropriate for an opera stage."

"Just sing one of them." He said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I sighed. "Alright, fine. Let me find one." I said, digging my phone out of my jeans pocket under my dress, which to say the least was very difficult.

After I finally managed to get it out, I went through my library of songs, trying to find something suitable. _No…no…heck to the no…why do I even still have this song…I guess this will have to do…_ "Okay, here goes…"

As soon as the music started, I began to sway to the melody, becoming lost in my own little world.

_"__Midnight, not a sound from the pavement,_

_Has the moon lost her memory,_

_She is smiling alone,_

_In the lamplight, the withered leaves collect at my feet,_

_And the wind begins to moan…_

_Memory, all alone in the moonlight,_

_I can smile at the old days,_

_I was beautiful then,_

_I remember the time I knew what happiness was,_

_Let the memory live again…_

_Every street light seems to beat a fatalistic warning,_

_Someone mutters and the streetlamp gutters,_

_And soon it will be morning…_

_Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise,_

_I must think of a new life,_

_And I mustn't give in,_

_When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too,_

_And a new day will begin…"_

By the time the instrumental part came around, I was dancing with an invisible partner, waltzing around the stage. Then, before I knew anything else was happening, Erik replaced the air that I had been partnered with. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all." I said, a smile spreading on my face. We danced, feeling as if the stage were made of clouds and we were dancing in the sky.

_"__Burnt out ends of smoky days,_

_The stale cold smell of morning,_

_The streetlamp dies, another night is over,_

_Another day is dawning…_

_Touch me, it's so easy to leave me,_

_All alone with the memory,_

_Of my days in the sun,_

_If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is,_

_Look, a new day has begun…"_

As the song ended, we slowly came to a stop in the middle of the stage, still holding each other.

"That was beautiful," Erik whispered after a few moments of silence. "You sang it with such conviction and passion, it was almost as if you were the song itself."

I blushed at his compliment, although I wasn't quite sure about that last part. "Thank you. The song is so beautiful, it's hard not to be passionate while singing it. Actually, to tell you the truth, this song is from a musical about cats." I said, softly giggling.

His eyes widened in surprise. "They must be running out of things to write if they have to resort to writing about an animal."

"The same person who wrote the musical about cats wrote the musical about you, too."

I couldn't hold back my laughter at the look of horror that passed over his face.

**The song is ****_Memory_**** from the musical ****_Cats_**** by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Thank you to Lizzybug2000 for recommending this song. It is absolutely beautiful!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 is finally here! Shoutouts to mollyjr3, GamerGirl21, karisdaae24601, Angeromaru, and knkubitz1001. And in reply to a review I have received, I don't have a set schedule on when I post, I just post whenever I finish a chapter. Now, Chapter 15! Hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 15

Once we exited off of the stage, Erik took me through a tunnel that we entered from backstage. "How is it that there are tunnels, entrances unseen to the untrained eye, everywhere that have only been used by you? Hasn't anyone else found them?" I asked.

"Not yet. The only people who use these passageways are myself and Madame Giry. Even then, she has to have permission from me before using them. You are the only other person who knows they even exist."

"I feel so honored."

He chuckled as he led me further down the dark tunnel. I had to hold onto his cloak to avoid losing him or running into a wall.

After what seemed like forever, I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel (pardon the pun), my room slowly coming into full view from the mirror door. "Well, this is my stop." I joked, not really wanting to leave him.

"So it seems." He stated, sounding a little put out.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess, unless you want to have a lesson tonight."

"No, you need to rest your voice. We can't have you croaking like a toad."

I snorted, trying to keep my laugh in, utterly failing. Erik gave me an amused look. "Did I say something funny?"

"In a way. In the musical about you, you gave Carlotta something to make her sound like a toad while she was singing in _Il Muto_ after the managers blatantly disobeyed your order of having Christine sing instead."

"That sounds like a good idea, actually. It's a shame that I hadn't thought of it before. I could have gotten rid of Carlotta ages ago."

I playfully whacked his arm. "Now, Erik, don't go and do anything I wouldn't do. Although, sometimes I really wish I could tell that cow _exactly _what I think about her."

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you. It may not go over well with her, nor the managers."

"True. With them wrapped around Carlotta's pinkie, I would most likely be kicked out by the end of the day. It's a good thing I have you, though. You would save me from being homeless."

"And how would you suggest I do that, mademoiselle?" he asked, looking at me with a playful smirk.

"Like always, just scare the life out of the managers."

That earned me a laugh from the masked man beside me. We were both biding our time together before I had to return to the world where he couldn't follow_. Why did the world have to be so cruel to you?  
><em> "Pardon?"

Oops, did I say that out loud? Well, what an awkward position I put myself in. "I should go. I'm expecting company in a little bit. I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I opened the mirror door.

"Wait, Mandy, please…" he pleaded as he gently grabbed my wrist.

As I looked back at him, I could tell he was trying to find something to say. "Yes, Erik?"

"If you are able, would you like to join me for dinner tonight? I know its short notice, but-"

"I would love to have dinner with you, Erik." I interrupted with a wide smile. "I may be a little late, though. It depends on when I can get my company to leave."

"Who are you expecting?"

"Madame Giry, Meg, and Christine."

At the last name, Erik's face fell. "Oh no, Christine. I forgot about her lesson tonight!"

For some reason, my heart sunk at the thought of him with her. "That's alright. We can have dinner some other time. That is if you would still want to."

"Of course. Thank you for understanding." He said, kissing my knuckles. _Dang, why does he keep doing that?_

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. I'll try to wear something nice." I joked, winking at him. He didn't seem to know what to say, so he simply nodded and shut the mirror door.

I mentally smacked myself. _Dang, why did I have to bring up Christine? If I hadn't have, I would be able to spend more time with him. Wait, why am I thinking this? It sounds as if I'm jealous. But I can't be…right?_

In the midst of my thoughts, I neglected to see the hand coming out of my mirror, laying a red rose with a black ribbon on the little table beside it.

My thoughts were finally broken a few minutes later by two sharp knocks on my door. I jumped at the sudden noise filling the room, then straightened myself up, walking to the door and opening it. As soon as the door was halfway open, a certain blonde ballerina burst into my room. "I have been waiting for this all day. I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Where did the clothes come from? Why were you wearing them? How did you-"

"Meg, enough." I heard from the doorway. Madame Giry and Christine were still standing in the hallway. I motioned for them to come inside, stepping aside so they could. Once Madame Giry reached Meg, she reprimanded her again. "Give the mademoiselle a little bit of time to actually process your questions. You were going a mile a minute, she most likely did not understand a word you were saying."

Meg looked down shamefully. "I apologize, Mandy."

I chuckled. "There's no need to apologize. I know you're curious. I would be, too, if I were in your position."

Meg perked up, but it was Christine who spoke. "So, where did you find the clothes? I'm sorry, but I have only heard of women wearing trousers on the stage."

I took a deep breath, trying to decide whether I should tell them the truth or make something up. I didn't want to lie to them, but they would most likely ship me off to the nearest insane asylum if I told them the truth. _C'mon, it's now or never…_ "You might want to sit down for this, ladies. What I'm about to tell you may be a bit shocking."

Once they were settled on my bed, I began to tell them everything. "When you first found me, Madame Giry, I had no idea where I was, or how I even ended up here. The last thing I remember before you found me was taking final bows on stage."

"Stage? So you were a performer where you were from?" Madame Giry asked.

"In a way. See, where I'm from is totally different from here. Actually, it's on another continent: North America."

"Oh, wow. America!" Meg exclaimed. "I've heard so many stories about the United States. Is it true that your president was killed in a theater?"

"Yes, he was. It was for a stupid cause, too. His assassin didn't agree with his views on slavery and was very upset when the Union defeated the Confederates in the Civil War. Forgive me for getting off topic, I brought you here to give you an explanation, not a history lesson."

"Did you work in the theater that he was killed in?" Meg asked, ignoring my last statement.

"No, I didn't. In fact, I wasn't even born by that time."

Christine looked at me, very confused. "But, from what I hear, it happened about four or five years ago."

"It did."

"You're not making any sense, mademoiselle." Madame Giry stated.

"I know, and please, Madame, call me Mandy. I'm not one for formalities."

She nodded. "Very well, please continue."

"Okay, so as I said, I wasn't born at that time. The reason I say this is…I was born in 1997."

All I could see were blank stares coming from the three women. "What?" was all Meg could utter.

"Alright, I am 17, almost 18. I was born in 1997. Add 18 to 1,997. That's what year it was when I somehow ended up here."

I could see them doing the math in their heads, then as if they were synchronized, they all yelled "2015!"

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner."


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay, Chapter 16 is here! Shoutouts to KUMA-Fury19, RedDeathLvr, camsam17, nightangelx18, KeepCalmandReadMore,outofthisworld1, musicismylife0820, and wizardsauthor. Please review: it makes this authoress' day! :)**

Chapter 16

"Mandy, do you know what you are saying?" Madame Giry asked, concern showing on her face. "This is next to impossible to believe."

"I know it sounds crazy, Madame, believe me. It's even crazier for me to be in this situation. I have no idea how I came here in the first place, and I have no idea how to get back."

"It doesn't make any sense." Meg stated.

"I've went over everything in my head and have come to the conclusion that nothing makes sense to me anymore."

A few awkward, silent moments later, I hear, "I believe you."

We all turned to Christine with the same look on our faces: _"What?!"_

Christine shrugged. "I believe you, Mandy. You haven't given me a reason not to trust you yet, so I trust you."

"Thank you, Christine." I said, a grateful smile taking over my face.

Meg took a place beside Christine. "If Christine believes you, then I do, too, no matter how much it doesn't make sense."

"Thank you, Meg. Madame Giry?"

She sighed. "Well, I guess if they think you are telling the truth, then you are. Believe it or not, they have a good judge of character."

"Maman!"

Madame Giry chuckled. "I'm sorry. Yes, Mandy, I believe you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you don't think I'm insane."

"Oh, I think you're insane-" Meg started to say, being effectively interrupted by the slap upside the head from Christine. "Ouch! What I was going to say is that I think you're insane, but in the best possible way."

I laughed. "Thanks."

"So I take it that they wear these clothes in your time?" Madame Giry inquired.

"Yes, we do. And if you think this is shocking, just know that this is thought to be very conservative and modest for women of my time. That is all I will say on the subject."

All three of them looked at me with disbelief on their faces. I shrugged. "Well, it is."

I spent the next 30 minutes telling them about where I came from. I talked about everything from my family to what my friends did the week before.

"Before you know it, Emmy pops out of my closet, effectively giving me a heart attack. All the while, she was singing a very annoying song, even in the original singer's opinion."

Meg was laughing her head off, with a few giggles from Christine and Madame Giry. "It sounds like your friend is very eccentric." Madame Giry said.

"You have no idea. In fact, she looks almost exactly like you, Christine."

She blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah. You remind me of her. It makes me miss her more than anyone, but I'm glad I have you three here. I'm pretty sure that if I didn't have y'all as my friends, I would be dead in a street gutter or something."

Meg made a pitiful sound. "I'm glad you're our friend, Mandy." She said as she hugged me tight.

After a few moments, she was still squeezing me. It was getting kind of awkward, to be honest. Madame Giry cleared her throat. "Meg, I think it is time for us to retire. You can see Mandy tomorrow."

Meg nodded and finally let me go. "Will you watch the rehearsal tomorrow?" she asked me.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

After the Girys left, Christine followed, but turned back in my doorway. "Mandy, do I make you sad?"

I looked at her, shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do I make you sad, reminding you of your friend and all?"

I understood then. "No, Christine. You do not make me sad."

Her mood lightened up. "Good. Goodnight." She said as she bounded down the hall.

I looked after her. _You may not make me sad about Emmy, but you do make me sad whenever it comes to Erik…_

I suddenly realized something. Erik didn't have lessons with Christine anymore…did he?

I locked my door and walked over to my mirror, sighing. "Oh, Christine. Please don't break his heart…"

I reached into my pocket and pulled my phone out and put it on shuffle, in desperate need of some music. The first song that came on first fit pretty much to the situation, I believed…

_"__I know there's something in the wake of your smile,_

_I get a notion from the look in your eyes,_

_You've built a love, but that love falls apart,_

_Your little piece of heaven turns to dark,_

_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you,_

_Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do_

_I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye,_

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worth while,_

_The precious moments are all lost in the tide,_

_They're swept away and nothing is what it seems,_

_The feeling of belonging to your dreams,_

_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you,_

_Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do,_

_I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why,_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye,_

_And there are voices that long to be heard,_

_So much to mention, but you can't find the words,_

_The scent of magic, the beauty that's been,_

_When love was wilder than the wind,_

_Listen to your heart when he's calling for you,_

_Listen to your heart, there's nothing else you can do,_

_I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why,_

_But listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye…"_

I looked at the table beside my mirror, feeling something was there that didn't belong. When I finally figured it out, all the breath left my body.

It was a blood red rose with a black ribbon tied around it.

I gently picked it up as if it would turn to ash with the slightest movement. Something so precious was to be treasured. If only a certain other would think the same way…

_"__Listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye…"_

**The song in this chapter is ****_Listen To Your Heart_**** by DHT. Beautiful song. If you haven't heard it, I recommend you look it up.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the prolonged absence; school is murdering me. But, all complaining aside, thank you to all who have stuck with me. Shoutouts to LimitedLegendFTW, Fireballmaddie, Ninja Kitty 101, Axelgirl, Severian101, cutelittlekitten18, Stormfrost14, PumpkinKitten, and roronazolosgirl. Now, onto the story. Enjoy!**

Chapter 17

I stayed true to my word to Meg and attended the ballet rehearsals the next morning. Walking through the doors to the auditorium, my senses were assaulted by the rankness of whiskey and the unsightly view of Joseph Buquet.

"Well, well, little songbird. Looks as if you arrived just on time." He slurred.

"Yes, it appears that I have. Now if you will excuse me…"

He blocked the rest of the entrance. "What's the rush, _ma petite_? Surely you wouldn't to leave my company so soon?"

"Monsieur, I would greatly appreciate it if you would quit accosting me and let me through." I stated firmly.

"Now why would I do that?"

I smirked as I looked behind him. "Because you never know what could happen. If I were you, I would keep my hand at the level of my eyes."

He turned around to see what I was looking at only to be whacked in the face by a rope knotted into a Punjab lasso. He turned back to me, fury in his eyes. "You did this, you little brat!"

I looked at him, an innocent look on my face. "How could I have done it, monsieur? You were blocking my way." I said before slipping past him, making my way to a seat in the front row.

Madame Giry turned and looked at me with an impressed look, then turned back to the ballet girls to continue her instruction. She must've seen what just happened.

For the next hour or so, I watched the ballet girls seem to defy gravity with their leaps and mid-air twirls. They made it seem so effortless, as if everyone could do it. But, trust me, I know from experience: not everyone can.

Once they stopped for a little break, Meg and Christine, as well as a few other ballerinas, came over to me. "So, how were we?" Meg asked.

"You were all so very beautiful." I said with a smile. "I wish _I_ could dance like that, but alas, I was born without a dancer's bone in my body."

This was received with giggles from the girls. "Well, what you lack in dancing, you make up for in singing." Christine stated. "Did you ever have lessons in th- I mean, where you're from?"

I heard her almost slip, but was grateful that she caught it. What would I have done if the ballet girls had found out about me being from the future? I certainly wasn't ready to find the answer to that question. "Actually, no. I never did have lessons. I learned by myself."

"Speaking of singing, have you picked a song yet for your first performance?"

_First?_ "Not yet. I'm having trouble deciding."

"Can you sing us a song?" a girl by the name of Rachelle asked me.

I chuckled as she backed into the crowd of girls, obviously embarrassed by what she did. "Of course. What would you like me to sing?"

"Sing one that you used to sing where you come from." She requested.

"Hmm, alright. I think I have a good one…"

_"__Said goodbye, turned around,_

_And you were gone, gone, gone,_

_Fading into the setting sun,_

_Slipped away,_

_But I won't cry 'cause I know_

_I'll never be lonely,_

_For you are the stars to me,_

_You are the light I follow,_

_I will see you again,_

_This is not where it ends,_

_I will carry you with me,_

_'__Til I see you again,_

_I can hear those,_

_Echoes in the wind at night,_

_Calling me back in time,_

_Back to you,_

_In a place far away,_

_Where the water meets the sky,_

_The thought of it makes me smile,_

_You are my tomorrow,_

_I will see you again,_

_This is not where it ends,_

_I will carry you with me,_

_'__Til I see you again,_

_Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking,_

_But I stay strong and I hold on 'cause I know_

_I will see you again,_

_This is not where it ends,_

_I will carry you with me,_

_I will see you again,_

_This is not where it ends,_

_I will carry you with me,_

_'__Til I see you again,_

_Said goodbye, turned around,_

_And you were gone, gone, gone…"_

I was met with applause from the entire ballet, as well as the crew members that were in the auditorium who had joined the growing crowd. Shouts of _"Brava!"_ and _"Encore!"_ were emanating from my little audience. For some reason, this little gathering made my adrenaline rush, even more so than when I was in my time. I mean, sure, when I performed in front of the audience back in my world, it was awesome. But here, in front of actual opera workers and performers – people who know _way_ more about music than anyone from my time – was just exhilarating!

I gave a little curtsey, blushing all the while. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week." I was disappointed that no one got the joke, but all that mattered to me was that they liked me. "Would you like another one?"

"That would be lovely," a voice cut through the chatter. I turned to find Madame Giry behind me. "But I'm afraid that will have to wait. It is time to resume practice."

I nodded. "Alright. Sorry, guys. You'll have to wait 'til later."

Grumbles rippled through the crowd as they dispersed to their proper places. I couldn't help but grin.

Madame Giry pulled me aside for a moment. "You were wonderful, by the way."

I blushed at her compliment. "Thank you, Madame."

"And, please, in the future, call me Antoinette."

I gave her a salute. "Will do."

She chuckled and walked back to the stage, a smile on her face. One was growing on mine as well. _Yu, I think I could get used to this…_

**Song is ****_See You Again_**** by Carrie Underwood.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I have finally finished this chapter! It took me FOREVER to get rid of my writer's block that way I could even ****_start_**** this chapter. Anyways, the point is that now I have updated. Shoutouts to phantomshadow99, GloriousFandoms, Hero of the Light Brigade, PumpkinKitten, Signy Valdis, and The Captains Muse. As always, if I miss anyone who has favorited or followed, please let me know.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera. I want one, though...**

Chapter 18

The rest of the day passed without incident. The girls were flawless in their routines, the crew wasn't as drunk as usual, and there was only one instant when a sandbag nearly landed on a stagehand's head. Overall, it was a pretty good day.

After dinner was over, I went back to my room, but something didn't feel right. I felt as if something was there that wasn't before. I looked around, trying to spot the anomaly in the room. _Was it the bed? No, it's perfectly made. The mirror? Nu-uh, pristine as always. The dresser? Aha! A note…_

I went over and picked it up, seeing my name written in blood red ink. It could be from only one person…

_"__Dear Mandy,_

_Forgive me for leaving you as I did last night. Please allow me to make it up to you. Should you accept, I would like to treat you to a dinner on the roof tomorrow night at 9 o'clock. You can wither accept or decline and let me know at our lesson tonight. Again, please accept my sincerest apology._

_Erik"_

A picnic? On the roof? With Erik? Who could say no to that?

We had decided at our last lesson that we were to have our lessons in his lair from now on. He nearly busted a gut when I referred to it as such.

_"__A lair?" _he had asked me, though he was nearly out of breath when he finally stopped laughing.

_"__Well, what else am I supposed to call it?"_

_"__How about my home, at least?"_

My flashback was interrupted by knock from somewhere in my room. Not outside of it, in it.

"Hmm…Where, oh where, could that be coming from? Could it be the elusive Opera Ghost coming to take me away? I swoon at the thought!" I exclaimed overdramatically, pretending to pass out, flopping onto the bed.

I saw the mirror slide open to reveal a certain smirking Phantom. "I have that effect on people, only they usually faint from fear."

"Not where I'm from." I said, getting off the bed and straightening myself out. "Back home, everyone who knows of you would Punjab themselves just to spend five minutes with you. Trust me, I know. I have a Tumblr full of them."

"Tumblr?"

I flopped back down on the bed, this time face down and in irritation at myself for my own flub. "Tumblr is a group of people you can speak to and share ideas, pictures, and important things with. Dang, why do I feel like I'm explaining something to my mother?"

"You never talk about your family. Why is that?"

I shrugged. "I guess I'm not ready to talk about them. I realize that I may never see them again, and trudging up memories of them may make me miss them even more."

He helped me up when I stuck my arm up in the air. "You never know, it may help to talk about them."

I sighed. "I guess."

We stood in silence for a good 15 seconds, which may or may not have been a little awkward. "So," I said. "Shall we make our way down to your lair?"

He laughed. "Are you ever going to stop calling it that?"

"Nope. It is forever dubbed 'The Lair'. Might as well get used to it."

He led me through the mirror, and we started our journey to his abode.

Once we finally reached his lair via the boat, he helped me out and led me over to the organ. "I swear, this place gets more beautiful and mystifying every time I come here."

I looked over at Erik to find him smirking. "And what, pray tell, is that face for?" I asked him.

"We should get started with the lesson." He said as he sat down at the organ, effectively evading the question. "Let's start with your scales."

An hour and two arias later, my head was swimming. Articulate this, proper posture that…I was going to rip his head off if he said one more thing about me not being able to hit the highest note in the last

"With your vocal range and proper breathing, you should be able to-" He stopped for a moment. "How could I have forgotten this? Mandy, breathe."

"Um, that's what I've been doing. If I didn't breathe, I would die."

"You know what I mean. Breathe as if you were singing." He stressed.

I sighed and started to breathe as I was taught back in my time, when Erik all of the sudden exclaimed, "Stop!"

I jumped, startled at his outburst. "What?"

"What was that?"

"That was me breathing…" I answered hesitantly.

He shook his head. "No, that was definitely not."

"Then what was it, then?" I asked.

"It was not right, that's what it was!" He suddenly jumped up and came behind me. "You shouldn't be breathing from here," he said, touching my throat and upper chest. He then moved his hand to my stomach. "You should be breathing from here."

So that was how we started a good fifteen minutes of him getting me to breathe from my diaphragm. I can't say that it wasn't weird, because it was. But I also couldn't say the feeling of his hand sending sparks throughout my stomach and his voice in my ear wasn't pleasant, because boy did it feel amazing! By the time we were done, I went over to the nearby couch and collapsed on it, my stomach muscles aching severely. _Okay, I should have a six-pack now…_

"Alright, I think that will be enough for tonight. Would you like some water? I know you must be parched."

I nodded and he went to get me some water, saying he would be back in a minute. In that minute, I went over everything that he had taught me. _Proper articulation, posture is everything, breathe from the stomach…_ Warmth flooded me at the memory of him touching me. Even though it was purely professional, I still couldn't help but blush.

"You're red."

I jumped and spun around to find Erik leaning against the wall, holding the glass of water. "What?"

"You're red. A blush, perhaps?" he asked as he came towards me and handed me the water. As I took the glass, our fingers brushed. He pulled his hand away quickly, his own face turning a hue of red.

"Now who's blushing?" I asked, a smirk growing on my lips. His only response was sighing and briskly walking to the other side of the room.

I took my time sipping my water, knowing that as soon as I was finished we would go back up. I didn't want to go just quite yet. Besides, I still had to give him my answer about dinner. I didn't want to bring it up – to me, it's awkward when the girl brings things up like that instead of the guy – I was waiting on him to approach the subject. And just how were we supposed to talk it if he was still flustered over what happened with the water?

As if he were reading my mind, Erik asked me the question I was waiting on all night…sort of. "Did you get my note?"

I cleared my throat and set my water on the end table. "Yes, I did. And how many times do I have to tell you to quit apologizing? Trust me when I say that if an apology is needed, you will know."

As we were making our way down for our lesson earlier, he had done pretty much nothing but apologize for it. All I heard was 'I'm sorry' and 'Please forgive me'. The _whole way down_! Do you have any idea how long it takes to get from the mirror door to his lair? Quite a long time, let me tell ya!

He nodded in affirmation. "Good, good. And…about dinner….tomorrow night?"

I nearly laughed, but effectively help it back. He reminded me so much of an awkward high school freshman asking a girl on a date. "I think it would be nice, Erik. I daresay it will be the first time since I've been here that I will have been outside."

Erik smiled suddenly, taking my hand in his and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Good. I will be looking forward to it."

I giggled. _Since when do I giggle at_ _things like this? At least it wasn't a high pitched giggle; that would've been very embarrassing…_ "Me too."


End file.
